Does the Bible mention soul mates?

Can you feel it—love in the air? It's that time of year again when the infamous lovers' party graces our calendars. Perhaps you draw a bright red circle around February 14 in anticipation of a romantic date with your partner. Maybe your current relationship status is more like a sweaty night with Rocky Road alone on the couch. Regardless of your current love situation, at some point in our adult lives, most of us find ourselves searching for our true love, the one we call our soul mate.

A soul mate is one of those words that has been romanticized, glamorized and glorified. We wonder if this kind of mystical love is even possible from a distance or if it's just reserved for a big-screen scene.

Is that even conceivable? Could our souls find their match among nearly eight billion people on earth?

We see this seeming impossibility come true when we witness a married couple celebrating their golden anniversary. The elderly bride and groom look at each other in awe while cutting the cake the same way they did fifty years ago. Their matching amorous smiles caught in some sort of time capsule. And it's a beautiful thing. It gives us hope if something ignites a small flame fanning the desire to experience a love like that.

How did they do it? How did they defy the odds with the current US divorce rate approaching 50%? Is it possible that they have found their soul mate, the only one that makes their soul vibrate?

What exactly is a soul mate?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a kindred spirit as a person who strongly resembles another in their attitudes or beliefs. I've heard soul mate described in many ways, but all descriptions revolve around two people having a strong likeness and attraction to each other. They share a deep spiritual bond: they are kindred spirits.

Where does the term "soul mate" come from?

An article on Crosswalk explains the origin of soulmates: "The concept of soulmates originated in Greek mythology and the famous philosopher Plato. In his writing, the Symposium, he taught that men and women were made in one body and were separated by the gods. Greek myth defined humans as having two faces, four arms and four legs and possessing incredible strength. But the Greek god Zeus feared humans had too much power and strength, and chose to cut every human being in half, thus dooming us to roam the Earth our entire lives in search of our missing half, our soul mate."

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In the Symposium, Plato quotes the poet Aristophanes to explain the divine moment when two kindred souls meet. "And when one of them meets their other half, the true half of themselves...the couple are lost in a wonder of love, friendship and intimacy, and one won't be out of view of the other, if I may say so, even for a moment."

Doesn't that sound fantastic? I mean, not all the angry, jealous god that cuts us in half, but the reunion of a lifetime! Of course, I don't believe in Greek mythology, but I find it makes great bedtime stories for those with wild imaginations.

What does the Bible say?

Does the Bible describe this phenomenon of catching the perfect fish from the sea? Is the term “soul mate” mentioned in the Bible?

Unfortunately, no. Like so many other terms, "soul mate" is not explicitly written anywhere in the sixty-six books of the canonized Bible. There is no manual for finding the other half of our soul. But before hoping, remember that the Bible is definitely about love. After all, God is love (1 John 4:8). The Bible is not just a love story written for you; it is made up of many love stories that tell us a lot about marriage - what it should be and shouldn't be. God's purpose is that romantic love, with all its potential pain and degradation, be an arena of pleasure for his redeemed people.

Song of Songs (Solomon)

Perhaps the most remarkable book in the Bible that describes an intimate love and connection between two souls is the Song of Songs. The Song of Songs contains beautiful and sensual poetry expressing the romantic love between a young shepherd boy and a young shepherdess in ancient Israel. The setting is flowery and fruity...